Summary: Phylogeography of a successful aerial disperser:
the golden orb spider Nephila on Indian Ocean
islands
Kuntner and Agnarsson
Kuntner and Agnarsson BMC Evolutionary Biology 2011, 11:119
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/11/119 (9 May 2011)
RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access
Phylogeography of a successful aerial disperser: the
golden orb spider Nephila on Indian Ocean islands
Matjaz Kuntner1,2*
and Ingi Agnarsson1,2,3
Abstract
Background: The origin and diversification patterns of lineages across the Indian Ocean islands are varied due to
the interplay of the complex geographic and geologic island histories, the varying dispersal abilities of biotas, and
the proximity to major continental landmasses. Our aim was to reconstruct phylogeographic history of the giant
orbweaving spider (Nephila) on western Indian Ocean islands (Madagascar, Mayotte, Réunion, Mauritius, Rodrigues),
to test its origin and route of dispersal, and to examine the consequences of good dispersal abilities for
colonization and diversification, in comparison with related spiders (Nephilengys) inhabiting the same islands, and
with other organisms known for over water dispersal. We used mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear (ITS2) markers to
examine phylogenetic and population genetic patterns in Nephila populations and species. We employed Bayesian